OUGD402 | Studio Brief 01 - The Great Interior Design Challenge

Recently, I have been watch 'The Great Interior Design Challenge' on BBC2 and have become obsessed with the world of interior design.
Although it is not directly related to graphic design, I feel that the show has been incredibly inspiring for me as a designer. I have been interested in interior design from a young age and even embarked on some work experience when I was younger, so naturally after watching the show I have engrossed myself into the design world again. One thing the show particularly inspired me to do was up cycle! Due to the contestants tight budgets it was the best option. But it has amazed me what you can do with something old. I feel that this can definitely translate into my design as I am a student on a tight budget. I also like the idea of photographing the 3D and bringing this into my designs.  The show has also challenged me to get creative with colour and to develop my understanding of colour relationships. I now have the Dulux paint swatches layering the walls in my room. I am also thoroughly excited to live in a house next year as this gives me more of an opportunity to experiment with interior decor!
After the show, I began to research the presenters themselves. I am particularly interested in Sophie Robinson (photographed above). I have fallen in love with her website and the designs featured on it. I am interested in her career in magazines as this is an area of graphic design I would consider entering.
I have now begun a board on pinterest- pinning all interior inspiration I can find with a focus on up cycling. I have even joined Leeds freecycle!
I am eager to own my own house but for now, I am going to use this source of inspiration to improve my creativity in graphic design.

OUGD402 | Studio Brief 01 - SNASK Clients/Yay Festival

In continuation of my research of SNASK, I fell in love with this design SNASK created for the Yay festival. I always love a floral background- probably because I'm a girl - but I also adore the painted style in which the main text is created. The text is readable despite the background being fairly complex, and the logo is simplistic yet striking. It just ticks all the right boxes for me. What I also think is great about SNASK is that with their designs they display colours and typefaces used in each design. I am definitely inspired for future projects! 

OUGD402 | Studio Brief 01 - SNASK

SNASK is a wonderfully unique graphic design studio which we had to research as a group. I was instantly struck by the movement on the homepage of their website produced by a variety of stop monition and GIFs. They are rule breakers who appear to me to do whatever the hell they want- and it works! Their manifesto is particularly striking...

OUR MANIFESTO

It doesn’t matter if you’re a brand or a dog. Say it loud and like you mean it. Here is our 10 point manifesto.

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01) If you don’t like your work – quit.

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02) If you love someone – let it show.

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03) Generosity always pays itself back automatically.

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04) Always smile when you talk to an annoying person on the phone.

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05) If you want to be a rock star, don’t study graphic design.

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06) Talk with clients as you talk to your family, friends and pets.

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07) Social skills are as important as being good at setting type or knowing how to spell.

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08) See people as people, not as target groups.

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09) Just because you wear a black suit doesn’t mean you’re successful.

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10) Having enemies is good and necessary.

They have a great handmade approach to design which only adds to their unique attitude. I also love their attitude towards what they choose to design in that they will only design for something that they agree with! I think this approach is something all designers need to consider. 

However, it is also clear that they have a very relaxed approach...

"In our studio its okay to drink milk straight from the bottle. SNASK OFF" 

This must generate a very positive atmosphere in the studio, hence the production of great work. 

What I think is wonderful is that despite all of these unusual characteristics of SNASK, it is still obvious that they have a professional attitude towards their work. 

Below is the slide show we created as a part of our research task...

OUGD402 | Studio Brief 01 -Geometric flooring - Ana Varela

After browsing on itsnicethat.com I came across an art director named Ana Verela. I was particularly interested in her flooring design which was created to disguise the lines between each panel in the flooring. 

The design is simple, yet effective. I admire the use of simple lines and shapes to make a creative pattern. I can imagine this technique on posters and packaging. I may experiment with this technique after learning a few skills from our first illustrator workshop. 

OUGD402 | Study Task 2 - Who am I?

For this task, we were asked to answer a series of questions about ourselves, then research Massimo Vignellis 6 basic typefaces. From this we would then select which of the 6 fonts best described ourself. 

For this task I put together a presentation explaining my answers and research. 

An introductory slide from my presentation.

Here are my answers to the questions we were given- 

When are you happiest? 

When I'm at a christian event called Soul Survivor. 

When I've bought new clothes!

What is your greatest fear?

Being forever alone. Being sick!

What is your happiest memory?

Everything from my trip to Kenya but in particular when we travelled up a mountain to a remote school and I was the first white person the children had ever seen.

What was your most embarrassing moment? 

In year 6, I failed my cycling proficiency and cried in front of the whole class.

What makes you unhappy? 

Seeing other people deliberately trying to make other people unhappy! 

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

artist/vet/ballerina.

What is your guiltiest pleasure? 

Watching friends constantly (Not even guilty!!) 

What is your favourite hobby?

eating, sleeping, watching friends, shopping, sending ugly snapchats, going to Nandos.

Where is your favourite place?

Southport, its my home. 

- Font Research -

I found it surprisingly difficult to research the fonts. This was for a mixture of reasons. Firstly, many of my sources contradicted each other factually, and it was difficult to identify how reliable the source was . Secondly, I came across a lot of typographic terminology I am yet to learn and understand. I did try to learn what various words meant but I felt that an explanation from a tutor would be more valuable to be and that I would gain a more solid understanding of typography this way than the mixture of sources I was coming across. 

There is a lot to consider when choosing a font which describes you, so I decided to focus my ideas on where the font is used and its initial uses. I found it much easier to understand the font and why it was designed by looking at it from this point of view, rather than through the structural forms of the letters themselves. I would find it difficult to relate myself to a letter by its shape. 

For my presentation, I laid out the basic facts about the fonts such as when it was created and who by, and of course where it is commonly found. 

I was actually fairly surprised as the more I looked into these fonts, I really began to appreciate the typographic forms and see beauty in each letter form, even on fonts I was originally put off by!

I don't feel that the answers to my questions above really made any font stand out to relate to me. I chose a font that was not so visibly related to me in the questions. My final choice was Bodoni. This was because of its success in fashion labels and magazines. I have always been massively interested in magazines, mainly because of the layout design. It is what got me interested in graphic design in the first place. I used magazines for inspiration and in my art as well, in the use of textures and collage. Of course, I am a bit of a shopping addict and as mentioned I am happiest when I get to fill up my wardrobe more. What also attracted me to Bodoni was its description of a "romantic type" and its use in italian love poem texts. I have always loved a good romcom or in fact any story involving romance. This is potentially why I am so interested in Friends as a TV show because many of the story lines involve a romance of some sort. Finally, I thought I would consider the types form in some sense; I like the contrast in thick and thin strokes in the letters of Bodoni, I suppose this represents a few aspects of my personality, such as my mood swings (haha) and how I feel that I have a real mixed personality- I like a bit of everything. I suppose I go through phases of liking very different things. Its very difficult to explain..but I know what I mean!

A slide from my presentation and my final font. 

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OUGD402 | Study Task 1

As an introduction to Graphic design we were given the task to answer the following questions. The exercise made me learn quite a lot about myself and it should be interesting to look back on these in the future:

Identify and explain 5 reasons why you chose to study on this course.

1. I chose graphic design because I get weirdly excited when I see magazine design, packaging design and other forms of graphics.
2. Graphic design was the art discipline I naturally did in my spare time.
3. Leeds College of Art offers me one of the best chances of employment after my degree. 
4. Leeds College of Art is focussed on art alone as a subject. Therefore, I know that time, money and effort will go into my course.
5. Graphic Design as a degree offers you the best chances of getting jobs in different areas of discipline such as illustration and fashion. 

Identify and explain 5 things that you want to learn on this course.

1. How to use Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator to a professional industry standard.
2. How to extend my professionalism in all areas of graphic design.
3. New techniques which I had never considered or experienced before.
4. How to cook! (well) 
5. The reality of being in a graphic design job and how to prepare myself for this.

Identify and explain 5 things that you think are your strengths. 

1. I think I am quite hardworking. I have a motivation to do my work and improve as a result.
2. I am quite a positive person. I will usually see the good in situations.
3. I have a creative eye. I feel I have a sense of what looks good and what doesn't. 
4. I usually have good time management.
5. I am interested in everyone around me being happy and will try to offer help if this isn't the case. If everyone is happy, our work will benefit as a result.

Identify and explain 5 things that inspire you. 

1. Most of my ideas branch from all things natural, especially flowers. Also animals, the colours and textures on birds of paradise are particularly fascinating. 
2. Photography of outer space and the concept of the universe itself. 
3. Fashion magazines and fashion photography. Also, how others around me dress.
4. Everything about IKEA! Interior spaces, coffee shops are always good.
5. Many musicians but Florence + The Machine lyrically and artistically inspires me every time.